Wreck This Journal, an illustrated book that features a subversive collection of prompts, asking readers to muster up their best mistake and mess-making abilities and to fill the pages of the book (or destroy them). Through a series of creatively and quirkily illustrated prompts, acclaimed artist Keri Smith encourages journalers to engage in "destructive" acts--poking holes through pages, adding photos and defacing them, painting pages with coffee, coloring outside the lines, and more--in order to experience the true creative process. With Smith's unique sensibility, readers are introduced to a new way of art and journal making..

I think she really got a kick out of how subversive the book is, telling you to do all the things to a book that you are never supposed to do (stomp on it, take it into the shower, etc.)

I would absolutely say to go for a new copy, especially in this case; unless you could somehow manage to get a used copy from -for instance- a trusted friend or acquaintance whom you know intimately (and probably not even then).Otherwise you risk polluting the creative processes of yourself or your gift recipient's impressionable and juvenile mind with the unscreened ravings of an unknown and potentially harmful quantity.

The only fly in the ointment with an approach like this is that I feel there's sometimes far too much: "ignore the rules and what others may think" - and far too little: "in every craft or art there's a certain number of skills that need to be mastered before you posses the necessary tools to express yourself creatively."

Probably because most of the people who write this sort of book already have mastered the basic skill set and common body of knowledge for their art form, and can now no longer see the point since it's completely integrated into their creative process.

Like the great poet said to the aspiring kid who handed him 100 pages of blank verse: "That's is all well and good kid. But put it aside for now and learn how to write the rhymey-dimey stuff. If you can do that - and still be interesting - you'll be able to write anything."

I gave that book to a friend of mine whose sons are in puberty. Esp. the younger one is totally keen on that book and enjoys doing the weird things. However, when his brother accidentally poured some beverage over the book, he was totally upset "Hey what are you doing with the book" and so...